Back in late 2011, I got the opportunity to pitch Mark Cuban. I was just a student at the time, at Howard University, and cofounder of a company — no longer existent — called My College Hustle, a bartering platform for college students. Hoping to grab a $25,000 prize, my business partner Edward Lyles and […]
Competition
8 Tips for Dealing With Competitors
Competition is a strange topic. It is both underrated and overrated. This may seem like a contradiction, but it really isn’t. Startups often don’t spend enough time understanding the market, and spend too much time worrying about competition once they launch. In this post we look at different aspects of competition, and how a startup […]
In Defense of Winning
In recent times, competition and winning have developed a bad rap. Some argue that competition is destructive and undermines cooperation and respect within society and organizations. It’s not the winning, but the participation that matters, is a justification frequently advanced for not succeeding. In schools nowadays we see prizes being awarded for coming in tenth […]
How Cooperation Can Build Your Business
Two giants of the tech world united recently to achieve something: Uber, the ride-sharing service, will be teaming with Spotify to allow you to stream playlists in your car. This is big news, as it deserves to be. It also reminds us of the importance of cooperation in business: How vital it is to always […]
7 Reasons to Think Positively about Competition
Most entrepreneurs spend far too much time thinking negatively about competitors and can’t resist making derogatory statements about them to their own team, investors and even customers. This approach only makes these important constituents question your integrity, your intelligence and your understanding of business basics. Pointing out flaws in others does not give you strength. […]
Startup Decisions Must Be Quick and Disciplined
Every so often, a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. Why is it that his idea, which seemed so fundable only months ago, fails to attract investors today? The team is the same. The company’s market is the same. The only change might be a […]
3 Ways to Fight Undercutting Competitors
In the small business world, competition is prevalent, no matter where you look. Often times, companies that thought they had a solid fan base in their market share find themselves competing to match or beat their competitors’ prices. While this can cause an immense amount of frustration, especially considering that your lower-cost competition won’t disappear, […]
4 Companies Who Foster Innovation
Do You Know How To Make Your Teams Innovate? Most organizations realize that in today’s competitive world simply plodding on and delivering more of the same will only get you so far. If you keep on producing the same products and services, year after year with minimal development, sooner rather than later, a new disruptive […]
Meet Nixie, the Selfie-Taking Drone
Is Nixie, a flying camera-drone, the next big thing in personal cameras? Nixie CEO and founder Christoph Kohstall discusses the drone and what’s next with Sara Murray.
Startups Who Hide Early Work Only Fool Themselves
It’s popular these days for startup founders to operate in stealth mode, meaning no details about the idea or progress are shared with anyone until the big reveal and rollout. The common reason given is that this prevents any competitor from stealing their idea and beating them to market. In my view, this paranoid approach […]
10 Calculated Risks That Lead To Startup Success
There is an old saying that good lawyers run away from risk, while good businessmen run towards risk. Entrepreneurs see “no risk” as meaning “no reward.” In reality, all risks are not the same. Many risks can be managed or calculated to improve growth or provide a competitive edge, while others, like skipping quality checks […]